Generator for igniters.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

L. J. LE PUNTOIS. GENERATOR FOR IGNITERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8. 1902.

H0 KODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 3o, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEON J. LE PONTOIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE AUTO-IGNITER COMPANY, OF NEV CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

YoEK, N. Y., A

GENERATOR FOR IGNITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Fatemi, N0. 732,372, dated. Tune 30, 1903. Application filed August/8, 1902. Serial No. 118.916. (No model.)

Io tors for producing pulsating or intermittent currents, and more especially to generators for the production of sparks to be used for igniting purposes, such as in gas-engines and the like.

In an application tiled February 15, 1902,

Serial No. 94,288, I have described and claimed a new electrical generator the essential features of which are a permanent magnet of any desired form, preferablyof horse- 2o shoe type, and having one of its poles surrounded by a coil, together With a suitable movable mass of iron or similar material having a low magnetic reluctance i'or closing or establishing a magnetic circuit between the poles of the magnet and through the coil, and which mass carries a section or sections of high magnetic reluctance which by the movement of the mass comes into the path of magnetic flux and diverts the same, so that it no 3o longer passes through the coil, thus, in eect, moving the iield with reference to the coil, which is equivalent to moving the coil in a ield. As a consequence a current is generated in the coil. The present application relates to a generator of the same general type as that described and claimed in the application aforesaid; and the object of this application is to cover one of the arrangements of apparatus shown in the former applica- 4o tion, but which could not be therein claimed, and to cover a modilied form of generating apparatus designed especially for use with an induction-coil.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section through my improved magnet, showing a portion of the movable mass. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuits employed.

In the drawings I have shown the inven- 5o tion especially adapted for use as an igniter for gas-engines, and in that case the movable mass of low magnetic reluctance will be the fly-Wheel l of the gas-engine. In the periphery of the iiy-wheel I form one or more airgaps, in which may be embedded one or more pieces 2, of brass, bronze, or anyr other material of high magnetic reluctance. The

' magnet of the generator is shown of a modiiied horseshoe form, having the two legs or arms 3 and 4, respectively, Whose outer ends 6o are provided with sockets in which are seated the ends of permanent magnets 5, the latter being shown as straight bars of metal. The legs 3 and 4 and magnets 5 are held together by any suitable means, such as the tievrods or screws 6, made of non-magnetic material. The legs 3 and 4 are shown as provided with perforated ears 7, by means of which the magnet can be suspended from the frame of the vehicle or other object. The in- 7o ner ends of the legs 3 and Il lie in close proximity to the movable mass l. The leg 4 has its outer end enlarged or broadened to form a pole-piece 8 of considerable area. To the outer end of the leg 3 are secured suitable 75 laminations 9, which are of H shape in outline and have two of their legs projecting into proximity with the movable mass 1.

VThese legs of the H-shaped laminations present two pole-faces to said movable mass- 8o namely, the pole-face l0 and the pole-face 1l, the latter being joined to the leg 3 by means of the bridge 12. Around the latter is placed a coil 13, which coil has one of its terminals grounded, as bybeing connected to the laminations 9 or the leg 3, while the other end of the coil is connected to one end of the primary 14. of an induction-coil 15. For convenience of making connections the terminal of the coil 13 is connected to a screw or binding- 9o post 16, and one end of the primary 14. of the induction coil is connected to this same screw. The inwardly-projecting legs of the H-shaped laminations 9 provideV two polefaces 17. Y Opposite the same is located the polarized armature 18, the same preferably being mounted on a spring-arm 19, secured to the leg 3. This armature is of hard metal and polarized for reasons hereinafter explained. To its lower face is secured a piece rco of nickel or the like 20, which normally rests upon a small steel wheel or disk 21, eccentrically mounted on theinner end of a rod 22. The space between the legs 3 and 4 is closed by means of suitable side plates 23, secured thereto, and the rod 22 projects through one ot' said side plates, as shown in Fig. 2, being insulated therefrom by means of a bushing 24 and preferably being mounted in a sleeve 25, so that said rod can be slightly rotated, thus rotating the eccentric disk 21 and adjusting the distance between the armature 18 and poles 17 of the laminations 9. On the outer end of the rod 21 are suitable bindingr or clamping nuts 26, to which one terminal of the primary 14 of the induction-coil is secured.` The other terminal of said coil is grounded. The secondary 28 of the induction-coil 15 is in a circuit provided with a plug 29, having a spark-gap. To the screw 16 is also attached one side of the condenser 30, the opposite side of which is grounded.

It will be observed that the pole-faces of the legs 3 and 4 are practically straight-,while the movable mass 1, being the liy-wheel of an engine, is slightly curved. duce the reluctance of the air-gap between the pole-pieces and fly-wheel, said pole-pieces should preferably be made concave, so as to tit closely against the periphery of the iiywheel; butin order to adapt the magnet to ily-wheels of varying diameter I prefer to form the pole-faces straight, or nearly so. In order to overcome the increased reluctance of the air-gap thus formed, the pole-face 8 of the leg 4 is made broad and large, as shown, and the pole-faces of the laminations 9 are increased in size by extending them so that they somewhat overlap the coil 13, as snown at 32. The sides ot' the magnet are closed by means of the plates 23, above described, and the bottom of the magnet is closed by means of a plate 34, and between the magnet-bars 5, in the space occupied by the binding-rods 6, is placed a filling-block 35, of wood or other non-conducting material. The entire space, therefore, is practically closed and is filled with glycerin or heavy petroleum-oil, which will increase the suddenness of the electrical break between the armature 18 and laminations 9 and also prevents the contactfaces from becoming oxidized. In the space above the glycerin is a mass of granular insulating material 33, whose function is to fill up this space and make the device waterproof. A plate 36 and screw 37, of non-magnetic material, support the granular material.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: When the non-magnetic section is not in proximity to the pole-pieces of the magnet, the magnetic flux will be from the positive pole 4 of the magnet through the mass 1 of low magnetic reluctance, and thence to the leg 3 of the magnet, passing equally through the branches 10 and 11 of the polepieces. Vhen the non-magnetic section comes opposite the branch 10 of the laminafield of force.

In order to retions 9, the magnetic flux is thrown entirely through the branch 11, thence passing by the bridge 12 through the coil 13; but as soon as the non-magnetic section comes opposite the branch 11 the magnetic flux is thrown entirely through the branch 10, thus leaving the coil 13. This sudden change in the number of lines of force passing through the coil results in a current being generated in such coil, said current passing partly by way of the leg 3, armature 18, rod 22, back to the coil, and partly by the ground of the leg 3 through the primary 14 of the induction-coil and then back to the coil. This current produces a new field of force in the laminations, and the armature 18 is attracted by this new This results in a sudden break of the current above described between the armature 18 and disk21,and this sudden break throws all the current through the primary of the induction-coil, which produces a eurrent of high tension in the secondary winding of the induction-coil 15, thus causing a spa-rk at the gap of the plug 29. This plug, of course, will project into the engine-cylinder or other place where the ignition is to take place. The intensity of the current in the secondary is increased by the suddenness of the break between the armature 18 and disk 21, due to the filling of glycerin or other heavy oil in the chamber of the magneto. It is also increased by reason ot' the condenser 30 hav- 'ing one end connected to the primary of the induction-coil and its other side grounded, this condenser being charged and discharged in the well-known manner and augmenting or reinforcing the effect of the current in the primary on the secondary of the inductioncoil. As soon as the non-magnetic section has passed away from the branch 11 of the laminations 9 the flux will again pass equally through both branches of said laminations, again producing a current in the coil 13, which current will be in the opposite direction from the current produced in the first instance. As the armature 18 is polarized this second current merely tends to repel the armature and to increase the closeness of the contact between said armature and the disk 21.

Around the positive pole 8 of the leg 4 is placed a closed copper ring 38, having practically no inductive resistance and a very low ohmic resistance. By reason of the air-gap between the iiy-wheel 1 and the poles of the magnet there might be a tendency for the magnetic flux to leap across the gap between the two pole-pieces of the magnet. This copper ring, however, will prevent this, as any tendency that the field may have to leave the pole-piece 8 immediately causes a current to circulate around or through the copper ring. Owing to the very low ohmic resistance ot this ring, the induced currenthas a very great intensity, and, according to the law of conservatism of energy, it opposes any sudden variation in the flow of the flux from the pole- IOO IIO

piece-that is, any sudden leakage of the magnetic flux across the air-gap. The magnetic flux, however, iinds less resistance in passing through the mass l of low magnetic reluctance than it does in inducing large currents in the copper ring, so that the flow of the magnetic lux in the proper direction is not interfered with. Since the Itendency of the iiux to leak across the gap is instantaneous, this closed ring of low ohmic resistance resists this tendency and steadies or equalizes the flow of the magnetic flux from the pole-pieces. It can be applied to the poles of any alternating-current generator, and when so applied will prevent the sudden variations or Iiuctuations in the flow of the magnetic flux and prevent the armature reactions from exerting a detrimental action on the magnetizing field. This feature of my invention I wish, therefore, to cover broadly as applied to any alternati-ng generator, even of a type Where the coil instead of being stationary is wound on the armature.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is adapted to be used for generating pulsating currents for any purpose whatsoever in the same manner as that described in my former application. It will also be understood that the mass Z may be of any desired shape and move in any preferred way, not only by rotating but by reciprocating or oscillating in front of the poles of the magnet.

What I claim isl. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with two pole projections, of a coil surrounding one of said pole projections, and a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through said pole projections, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the liux from one of said projections to the other, thus varying the flow of liuX through the coil and generating a current in said coil.

2. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination witha magnet having one leg provided with two pole projections, ot' a coil surrounding one of said pole projections, a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the pole of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through said pole projections, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the flux from one of said projections to the other, thus varying the flux iiowing through said coil and generating a current therein, and means for breaking the circuit through said coil when the current reaches its maximum.

3. In a'generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with two pole projections, of a coil surrounding one of said pole projections, a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and'adapted to close the path of magnetic linx through said pole projections, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the uX from one of said projections to the other, thus varying the tluX flowing through the coil and generating a current therein, a circuit-breaker in circuit with said coil and an armature adjacent tothe pole-pieces and adapted to be actuated by the field generated therein for actuating said circuit-breaker.

4. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with two pole projections, a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic iiux through said pole projections, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the flux from oneof said projections to the other, thus varying the iiow of flux through the coil and generating a current therein, a circuit-breaker in circuit with the coil and a polarized armature connected to said circuit-breaker and lying adjacent to the pole-pieces and adapted to be actuated by the field generated therein.

5. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with an H-shaped polepiece, of a coil surrounding the bridge of said pole-piece, a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic linx through both limbs of said pole-piece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the linx from one of said limbs to the other, thus varying the iiow of flux through the coil and generating a current therein, a circuit-breaker in circuit with said coil and an armature for actuating said circuit-breaker, said armature lying adjacent to two of the limbs of said H- shaped pole-piece and being adapted to be actuated by the magnetism generated therein.

6. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with an H-shaped polepiece, of a coil surrounding the bridge of said pole-piece, and a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through both limbs of said polepiece, and provided with a section of 'high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the uX from one limb of said pole-piece to the other, thus varying the flux through the coil and generating a current therein.

7. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with an H-shaped polepiece, of a coil surrounding the bridge of said pole-piece, a wheel or disk. of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through both limbs of said pole- IOC IOS

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piece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the iiux from one limb of said pole projection to the other, thus varying the low of fiuX through the coil and generating a current therein.

8. In a generator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with an H-shaped polepiece, of a coil surrounding the bridge of said 'pole-piece, the projections of said pole-piece overhanging said coil to increase the poleface area, and a wheel or disk of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic uX from both limbs of said polepiece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the iiux from one limb of said pole-piece to the other, thus varying the flux through the coil and generting a current therein.

9. In agenerator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet having one leg provided with a pole-piece formed from laminations of H shape, a coil surrounding the bridge of said laminations, and a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through both of the limbs of said pole-piece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the uX from one limb of said pole-piece to the other, thus varying the flow of uX from one limb of said pole-piece to the other, thus varying the i'low of iiux through the coil and generating a current therein.

10. In agenerator for producing pulsating currents, the combination with a magnet hav-4 inga pole-piece provided with two projections, a coil surrounding said pole, an armature adjacent the projections of said pole-piece, a circuit-breaker in circuit with the coil and adapted to be actuated by said armature, and a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adjacent to the poles of the magnet and adapted to close the magnetic path through said coil, and provided with a section ot' high magnetic reluctance,whereby when said mass is moved said section will divert the path of magnetic linx, thus varying the iiow of the iiux through the coil and generating a current therein and creating a magnetic field in the projections of said pole-piece to actuate there being a spark-gap in the secondary of said induction-coil, whereby when the primary circuit is broken a spark will be produced at said gap.

12. In spark-producing apparatus, the combination with a magnet, of a coil on one of the poles thereof, a movable mass of low magnetic reluctance adapted to close the magnetic path between said poles, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the path of magnetic flux to generate a current in the coil, a circuit-breaker in circuit with the coil, an induction-coil also in circuit with the coil, there being a spark-gap in the secondary of said induction-coil, and a condenser having one side connectedto the primary circuit and having its other side grounded.

I3. In spark-producing apparatus, the combinat-ion With a magnet having one of its poles of H shape, a coil surrounding the bridge of said pole-piece, a mass of low magnetic reluctance adapted to close the magnetic path through both branches of said polepiece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the path of magnetic flux and generate a current in said coil, an induction-coil in circuit with said coil, there being a spark-gap in the secondary of said induction coil, a circuitbreaker in the primary of said inductioncoil, and an armature adjacent to the H- shaped pole-piece for actuating said circuitbreaker.

l-L. In spark-prod ucing apparatus, the com bination with a magnet having an H-shaped pole-piece, a coil surrounding the bridge of said pole-piece, a mass of low magnetic reluctance adapted to close the magnetic path through both branches of said pole-piece, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the magnetic iux through one branch of said polepiece to generate a current in the coil, a polarized armature adjacent to said H-shaped pole-piece, acircuit-breaker actuated by said armature and arranged in circuit with the coil, an induction-coil having its primary also in circuit with said coil, and a condenser having one side connected to said primary circuit and being grounded on the other side, there being a spark-gap in the secondary of said induction-coil.

15. In an electric generator, the combination with a magnet having pole-pieces, a rotating body arranged to vary the path of the flux of said magnet, and a ring of low ohmic resistance surrounding one of the poles of said magnet.

I6. In an electric generator, the combination with a magnet, a coil surrounding one of the poles thereof, a mass of low magnetic reluctance adapted to close the path of magnetic flux through said magnet, and provided with a section of high magnetic reluctance adapted to divert the path of the magnetic iiux to create a currentlin said coil, and a IOC) closed ring of high magnetic reluctance and of said magnet, said copper ring acting by ro low ohmic resistance surrounding one of the induction to oppose rapid uctuations in the poles of said magnet. oW of the magnetic flux. 17. In an electric generator, the oombina- In testimony whereof I, the said LEON J.

tion with a magnet having pole-pieces, a LE PONTOIS, have hereunto set my hand.

closed copper ring surrounding the positive LEON J. LE PONTOIS.

pole thereof, and a rotating body arranged Witnesses:

adjacent to the said poles and acting to vary THEODOREN RIPSORN,

the flow of magnetic iinx between the poles 1 EDWARD L. THOMPSON. 

